"Don't keep her awake," whispered Pattie; and Mrs. Cragg did her best to cry in subdued tones—not an easy matter, since self-command was not one of her virtues.
By the time Dot was soundly off, Mrs. Cragg spoke again:
"Pattie, you don't know what I've been and done! I've told Mrs. Smithers all about you."
"Yes; I know you have."
"I mean—about your father. I felt cross, and so I said it out. If you'd known that, you wouldn't, perhaps, have—"
"Not have tried to save dear little Dot!" Pattie spoke in amazed accents. "You can't think so, surely! I would do anything for Dot. Mrs. Smithers told me when I was out. She did not say that she had heard it from you, but of course—" Pattie stopped.
"I am very sorry," she said quietly, "because everybody will hear it now. But still, if you will let me stay a little longer to take care of Dot, I would rather do it. I should like to be sure that she is taken care of properly, till she is well."
"I don't wonder you think I'm not fit to look after her!"
"I don't think you are a good nurse," came in reply. "A nurse would be more careful. But, after this, you will never make such a mistake again. And I do think nurse and I have been to blame, leaving out a bottle of poisonous stuff where anybody might get hold of it. In an old medicine bottle too! I can't think how we could! It's a lesson to me as well as to you."
Mrs. Cragg gazed at Pattie with troubled eyes.